White Night Lament
by Reiki Sakura
Summary: It's easy to become scared; of walking forward, of trying, of practically everything in life. But courage isn't the absence of fear, it's the strength to control it.
1. Warmth of Snow

This is an original story that's been on my mind for a really long time that I haven't been able to complete so I'm going to try to.

_**Disclaimer**: I only claim ownership of four characters in this story, everyone else is just blah to help with the story._

Tears of White Night

Chapter 1: Warmth of Snow

_His first memory was that of seeing nothing but white. If he were conscious, the sleeper would have thought that he was dreaming…except it wasn't a dream. But he hardly felt anything in his dreary state and tried to make sense out of it but his mind seemed sluggish, as if he were underwater without needing to breathe. Time lagged on as he slowly stood up to examine his surroundings. He was standing at the bottom of a rather large crater, and for some unknown reason the snow that fell around him never seemed to fill up the hole that came out of the blue. Now that he thought about it…what was he doing here? What is "here"? More importantly…_

_"Who am I?" He whispered in a voice that hadn't been used in ages. It felt like tasting something that seemed familiar but that memory faded before he could fully remember. "What…am I doing here…? Where am I…?" He asked the wind and snow._

_But there were no answers to his questions. Only silence greeted him. For some reason he didn't feel cold, just empty…and confused…and a little alone. He was uncertain of what to do but something inside told him that staying here was not a good idea. With that in mind, he began to walk forward and nearly fell down due to lack of using his legs. Taking time to get familiar with moving his limbs he began moving again and managed to walk forward a few steps before finally falling down._

_For a while he didn't move, and unknown to him tears began to fall from his eyes. He felt angry, upset about being in an unfamiliar place with no idea of why he was there of what happened before he lost his memory. The rage continued to pile up without restraint and then he threw back his head and howled to the cold, gray sky raining snow down upon him. The sad sound echoed throughout the mountain range and with his energy suddenly spent in mere seconds, he collapsed into cold reality and ceased all thought and motion to drift in silent slumber. The last thing he saw before passing out were a pair of eyes watching him fall. Eyes that seemed familiar…_

The young man laid another blanket over the still form of the Lupe he managed to drag into the cave and finally sat down with a sigh. It had been only a hour since he'd arrived on Terror Mountain and here he was in the Snowager's cave with two petpets and an unconscious Lupe for company. The great icy serpent had left a few minutes ago to get some fresh air, promising to return shortly. Now that he thought about it, the human haven't known he possessed such a ability like that. Currently he knew some elemental magic and to use a staff but communication wasn't part of his studies. After thinking upon it for awhile the human decided to worry about the present and watch over the Lupe placed in his care. At least there were a lot of items that can be used while he was here. The human made a mental note to repay the Snowager for every item he used.

"Bleu, how is he?" The young man asked a Faerie Anubis, who wore a purple scarf instead of a golden collar like most of her species.

"Hmm, he seems to be awfully tired," the petpet said with a doctor's wisdom. "Apparently he must have passed out in the snow before we came along. I daresay he was lucky that you found him…and her." The last bit was directed at an Angelpuss rapidly flying around in circles around them. The human had found the angelic kitten buried not too far from the Lupe thanks to Bleu's assistance and now here he was in a huge cave with one Neopet and two petpets. Joy.

The Lupe began to groan slightly and the young man snapped to attention. Kneeling over the blue colored canine, the human asked gently, "Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

"Y-yeah…" One violet eye opened to gaze at the human with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. The Lupe himself was a mystery, wearing ragged clothing with many bandages all over his body including his right eye.

The human sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I've found you about a few hours ago in the snow and managed to carry you here. I'm Rei Sakura, what's your name?"

The Lupe blinked at the name. Sakura? Why did that sound so familiar? His one eye saw a figure a little shorter than himself with black hair tied back, a green turtleneck sweater and blue jeans. While Rei seemed harmless enough, the Lupe felt a strong, yet peaceful aura emanating from him.

"I…my name is Sirius…" the blue furred individual said quietly as he slowly stood up, barely making eye contact with Rei.

The human smiled behind his orange colored sunglasses and nodded. "Nice to meet you Sirius." He then pointed to the petpets. "This is Bleu the Anubis and that's Miyuko flying over there. Bleu's always been with me and I just found Mi-Chan soon after I found you on this mountain."

The Lupe nodded slowly and took in his surroundings. Great piles of multiple items were everywhere; toys, weapons, food…a treasure hoard to say the least. Just seeing it was enough to take his breath away.

"Um…where are we?" he asked Rei, slightly nervous. "Are all these things yours?"

The human blinked and laughed softly. "Me? Oh, no. All this belongs to the Snowager. I asked her for help once I found you and Miyuko outside of the cave. She just went out for a walk but she'll be back soon. Once she returns we can be on our way. Where do you live?"

"I…" Sirius pored over his brain and found nothing but a white haze. "I…don't know. All I remember is that I awoke somewhere around this place but that's all I know. I'm lucky to remember my name…if it is really my name."

"Oh," Rei's cheerful face darkened slightly into a thoughtful frown. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

The Lupe shook his head. "Forget about it. I'm just glad to be alive right now. All I want to do now is just take it easy."

"Okay," the human replied quietly as he stared at his hands, feeling ashamed for bringing up a sensitive subject but the Lupe's words made him feel a little bit better. He wondered what to do when a soft roar could be heard from outside the cavern entrance.

Moments later a large serpentine creature slithered through the mouth of the cave and quietly stood before Rei and growled in greeting. The human smiled and nodded in reply and was about to say something when a frightening growl was heard before a bluish blur fiercely struck the Snowager.

The icy serpent roared as Sirius dealt a swift blow to her side and reflexively thrashed at the Lupe with her great tail. The Lupe instantly blocked the blow and used the tail to twirl her around with unbelievable strength and speed and then threw her towards the wall where a large crater appeared and the cavern shook violently. Rei nearly fell to his knees from the vibrations as the petpets clung to him in fear. The human couldn't believe what was happening, only moments ago the Lupe was talking to him normally as one could be and then he became a violent thug. He couldn't understand what was going on, everything was happening so quickly.

As the Snowager moaned in pain, Sirius was in front of her in an eye-blink. With just one paw he lifted her up by the neck and began to choke her. The serpent growled and thrashed but her actions were for naught as the Lupe's hold on her throat held firm. Slowly she felt the pangs of agony and defeat as her vision began to dim.

"_Stop it_!" The Lupe ceased his hold on the great snake and turned to face Rei holding out his hands with a small red light glowing from his palms.

"Sirius," the human began in a different voice than before that hinted of danger. "I don't know what's your problem but I advise you to stop hurting the Snowager. Heaven help me if you don't let go of her this instant!"

The blue Lupe narrowed his eyes in confusion as he watched the human, his steel grip on the Snowager slackening somewhat. There was something about Rei's eyes that made him nervous. Not wanting to test his strength against the human's anger, Sirius backed away carefully after he released the Snowager.

In an instant, Rei was at the serpent's side with both hands touching the cold, scaly skin. The human began to glow with a pale blue light as droplets of water fell from the air and landed on the Snowager, gradually healing her wounds.

Sirius watched with shock and amazement as Rei poured every bit of energy he could spare in his healing spell until the dark purplish bruises faded into nothing. Nearly spent, the human allowed his arms to fall to his sides with a heavy sigh. Then he swiftly turned to the Lupe with an angry glare.

"What in the name of Neopia made you act like that?" The human shouted with barely restrained rage. "The Snowager gave us permission to rest from the snowstorm and you just had to hurt her so badly! I've never been anyone with such unreal strength in my entire life! Just who are you?"

"I... don't know," Sirius mumbled quietly. "When I saw her my body just acted on its own like it was scared or something..."

"That's _it_?" Rei's expression was that of sheer and utter disbelief. "You went and thrashed our benefactor out of _fear_?"

When the Lupe failed to reply, the young man threw his hands up in exasperation. "Forget it, it's pointless to continue this conversation. All I ask is that you stay out of trouble and don't pull any stunts like that again, alright? Later." With that, Rei bid farewell to the Snowager and promptly left the cave with the winged petpets flying after him.

Once out of the mountain cave, Rei sighed deeply as he began his trek home. His mind was still fuming over what that Lupe did and it bothered him greatly. Sirius was like a child in some ways in spite of his appearance, which confused the young man but he shrugged it off since he didn't plan to meet the blue Lupe anytime soon.

Fate however, had a different plan in mind.

"Um, Rei?"

The human turned to face his winged Anubis companion. "Yes Bleu? What's the matter?"

"He's following us."

It took only a fraction of a second for Rei to figure out just exactly "who" was trailing after him in this environment at this time of day. Wonderful.

"Just pretend that you don't know he exists. Maybe then he'll leave us alone." Rei suggested to the Anubis and continued his walking, with a slight increase in speed.

The blue winged canine nodded in reply. After a few minutes though, she chanced a quick glance back and whispered urgently, "He's still there. What do we do?"

"Hold on tight." That simple command was the only warning Bleu and Miyuko got before Rei began to run as if his life depended on it.

The two petpets hung on for dear life as the human literally tore through the snowy landscape on invisible wings. He didn't even bother to pause for breath as he sped through the air and happened to glance over his shoulder to witness a sight that would not be forgotten for a long time to come.

The Lupe was running on all fours as he sped through the chill breeze right one Rei's heels. Though he wasn't using magic like the human was, the lupine was doing amazingly well on his own.

Rei expressed shocked at this, but quickly regained his focus as he ran at top-speed through the snowy landscape to get away from the Lupe but his plan began to deteriorate as Sirius drew steadily closer. As if things weren't strange enough as they were.

"Hey, wait up! I just want to talk!" The lupine shouted at the human, who promptly ignored him. "Come on, just hear me out okay?"

The young man didn't bother to reply, instead he ran faster with the wind to gain some speed.

Growling deep in his throat, Sirius redoubled his efforts to match his pace with Rei's and managed to get within five feet before suddenly feeling a heavy resistance that struck him with the force of a giant hammer and then falling unconscious in mere seconds.

When the Lupe crashed into thick stony mountainside, the human gradually slowed down to see Sirius fall backwards into the cold after knocking himself out. He was about to go on his way when a small sound was heard over the cold, cold wind. Curiosity getting the better of him, Rei slowly walked towards the Lupe and froze upon the spot.

Sirius had regained consciousness, sat up, placed his head on his knees and covered his face with his arms. The sound came again when the Lupe's body shook for a moment before settling down again, only to repeat the process. Rei was simply astounded; this mere Lupe that wore tattered clothing, carried an attitude and possess enough strength to duke it out with the Snowager…was crying. All this because Rei refused to hear him out and then the Lupe accidentally crashed into the mountainside. With his power it seemed hard to hurt the guy but apparently the insides weren't as tough as the outsides. The knowledge made the human's heart sink faster than a raindrop on a cloudy day.

Heaving a sigh and shaking his head, Rei quickly walked over to the Lupe and held out a blue handkerchief. "Here."

Hearing the human's voice, Sirius glanced up in surprise and saw the offered cloth. "What's that for?" he asked quietly, traces of sorrow on his face.

Sighing again, Rei knelt down and gently dried the Lupe's tear-stained face. The Neopet was too surprised to protest as the young man carefully attended to him. In less than a minute the task was done and the human stood back up, putting away the handkerchief. "Alright, now I'm listening to you. What is it that you want to tell me?" He asked the Lupe, crossing his arms.

"Um…" Sirius murmured as his mind fought to regain stability. "Right after you left, that giant ice creature wanted me to give this to you." The Lupe held out a long bundle heavily wrapped in cloth that he had strapped to his back. Taking the offered gift, Rei slowly unwrapped the item until a sheathed sword was revealed in his hands. Gingerly removing the weapon from its protective case, a gleam of pale blue steel shone before the human as he examined the icy blade.

"Whoa," The Lupe whispered in complete awe. "What is that thing? It's cool…and kind of cold."

Even thought the situation was supposed to be serious, the young man can't help but to smile a little at the unintended pun. The mirth faded from Rei's face as he closely examined the weapon. It was a sword, easy enough to realize without a doubt. But he answered Sirius' question regardless of the unease he was feeling at that moment. "It's an Ice Scimitar, a blade of ice." The human replied patiently. "Not too rare or powerful, but since it's a gift I'll be keeping it out of respect for the Snowager." So saying, the young man carefully sheathed the weapon and placed it inside his bag. After checking to see that Miyuko and Bleu were alright, Rei turned to leave.

"Hey! Wait!"

Surprised by the sudden cry, the human turned to see the Lupe running towards him again with an impatient stance. "What is it _now_? I paid attention to you before so now we're even. Don't you have better things to do?"

The blue canine shuffled his hind paws for a moment before he asked nervously, "Well, where are you going?"

The answer came from a calm face that lacked any obvious sign of emotion. "Home."

Sirius blinked momentarily and then pretended interest at the fragments of white cold falling from the heavens. "Oh, okay." He mumbled quietly, feigning boredom.

Though they haven't known each other for more than a few hours that day, Rei could easily recognized the signs of pain and loneliness that can only be found within a grieving heart. He knew the consequences weren't going to be pleasant, but it didn't feel right for the Lupe to be left out here in the cold…

"Want to come along?" Rei calmly asked the blue canine as if it were a normal thing to do.

Sirius ceased his bitter attitude to stare at the human in front of him. His mouth was open to ask a question but no sound came out.

"No I'm not kidding around here, I doubt you would want to stay here for long anyways. Come on, let's get going." With that, Rei walked off into the distance and silently beckoned for the Lupe to follow. Not wanting to be left behind, Sirius trotted after the human with a hint of a smile on his face.

TBC...

Well, that's some info on two of my muses here and there's more to come later on. Later all, Kupo.


	2. A New Face

A stranger appears out of the blue. How will the two take this?

Tears of White Night

Chapter 2: A New Face

_**Disclaimer**: I own nothing related to Neopets save for my four characters (and two petpets) . Anyone else mentioned in the story don't belong to me._

Rei sighed as he finished reading another book of magic in the library and focused his gaze on the decorative ceiling with its many pictures of flowers and birds. It had been five years since he first met Sirius and the two have grown closer to become good friends and almost brothers. The young man of eighteen years quietly returned the book to its original place in the shelf and walked out of the vast room into the hallway.

The human had changed over the course of time from the length of his hair to the patient way he walked. Silken white stands flowed gracefully down his back and was loosely held back by a white satin ribbon. Rei was wearing an azure sweater with butterflies fluttering upon the woven fabric and simple blue denim jeans. His eyes were revealed to be a delicate shade of pale crimson without the orange lens of his sunglasses to hide them. As far as he could remember his eyes were always that color, but his hair had changed a year ago for unknown reasons. The young man knew that he was no normal human, but there was no one who could answer the questions about he had about himself. Shaking those idle thoughts out of his head, Rei glanced at the white marble halls with the plants and stained glass windows he saw everyday in this household. _Or rather, a mansion_ he thought to himself with a smile.

This fortress was located next to the mountains surrounded by thick, walls of stone with many buildings within the perimeter that could hold every living soul in Neopia Central alone and still have room for occupation. It literally screamed of a rich person's dwelling though the place wasn't Rei's first choice to take. He was under the care of a highly intelligent arch-mage that frequently traveled to Brightvale to study and lecture the laws of magic. The human himself received lessons from Byakuya but for some reason couldn't ascend to the level where he was believed to be in. It didn't bother the young man that much but the look of disappointment on the Bori's face hinted that he wanted to cry.

"Hey! Rei!" cried out a familiar voice. The person being addressed instantly braced himself as a willowy blue Lupe leaped out of nowhere to make a perfect landing on the human's back, whom fortunately was used to this daily routine.

"Hello yourself Sei." The young man greeted back, hiding the joy in his no-nonsense expression. Sirius had changed little since the day they first met except for the hair and clothing. The thin but physically fit canine bore a short blue tail on his head with the bangs partly obscuring the eye-patch he wore over his right eye. Despite the protests of the servants, the Lupe was wearing street clothes that lacked the quiet air that Rei was giving. Though he couldn't use magic, Sirius was immensely strong. For some reason, his companion was the only one who could keep up with him, whether it be friendliness or some other reason the two couldn't care less. Even the discovery of the Lupe being older than Rei didn't bother them in the slightest.

"So, what's the plan for today Master Rei?" The Lupe asked gleefully, full knowing that the human greatly disliked being addressed to like that.

"Call me Rei. And to answer your question pal, we're going out of this place since I'm fed up with the constant studying I'm forced to endure." The human replied without bitterness, also aware of how his friend liked to tease him. But there was no ill will between them.

"Neat-o! I'm just itching for some fun!" Sirius cried and jumped off Rei's back, grinning from ear to ear. The young man laughed slightly and lightly tapped the Lupe on the nose before they both went their own ways, each knowing what the plan was—for this wasn't the first time the duo sneaked out of the cathedral-like residence. The only way to get out of that place was to have Miyuko create a diversion, which she was glad to create due to her energetic nature. Though they were trained to handle threats and villains, all the powers of the servants proved useless against one cute little Angelpuss. Touché.

Soon enough, the angelic petpet bounced into every possible item at high velocity with hoards of well-dressed serving pets desperately tried to stop her. From a good distance was Bleu the Faerie Anubis who was there to ensure nothing drastic happened, and so far nothing life-threatening occurred for a long time ever since Sirius first came to this place to live in. Non-surprisingly, it was the Lupe's idea for Mi-Chan to act so erratically so that Rei and himself could leave the mansion since the servants forbade any contact with the outside world without the master's permission.

While nearly all the servants were chasing after the cheerful feline, a certain young man and a blue Lupe had separated with the plan to meet at the 'secret place' where only they knew the location. Both teenaged boys needed to traverse the large garden at the back of the estate and through a mountain path that lead up to a cliff overlooking almost the entire kingdom of Meridell.

On that particular day, Rei had packed some food and medicine in his blue duffel bag that he carried over a shoulder as he held his stout wooden staff in his right hand while walking through the woods towards the arranged meeting site. The human whistled lightly at the thought of getting out of the household and finally getting some fresh air for a change. Having all those dressed-up servants waiting on a person can drive one crazy. At least some people weren't that weird.

The young man pushed those idle thoughts out of his mind as he walked up the mountain path and soon reached the cliff where a lone tree stood like a silent guardian watching over the land. The multiple branches were laden with pale crimson blossoms that have yet to bloom for some time. Rei quickened his pace and nearly bumped into someone who was lying on the ground next to the sakura.

Covered in a ragged black cloak, the stranger appeared to lack stamina as he lay there hardly breathing. Kneeling down next to the comatose individual, Rei could faintly hear a heartbeat but he was certain that the unknown had yet to achieve eternal sleep. Setting aside his travel bag and staff the human gently, but firmly shook the sleeper.

"Hello? Come on, you have to wake up." Rei called insistently. "You can't stay like this forever, you need to get up. Can you hear me?"

The shrouded one whimpered a little bit before slowly opening his eyes, still covered by his dusty hood. Moving aching limbs, the stranger quietly got up and glanced sleepily at Rei, before yawning loudly. From the tone of that voice the human could tell that he was addressing a Kougra.

"So, what are you doing here? There's no other way unless you get through the front, and I would have known if someone like you came by." Rei began with a teacher's tone of voice. "At any rate, what's your name? I'm Rei Sakura."

The Kougra froze upon hearing the name. "S-Sakura?" he whispered hoarsely, the ability to talk unused for a long time.

The human nodded quietly with a small smile. Suddenly he found his vision obscured by black as the stranger leaned over to hug him as if they were long-lost brothers.

"Um, are you alright? Because you're kind of worrying me here." Rei stated nervously, confused over this person's behavior.

"Hey!" The human managed to turn around slightly enough to see Sirius fiercely walking in their direction. "What's going on here? And who the heck are you?" The last question was directed at the Kougra, who backed off when the Lupe appeared.

"I…" The striped cat began slowly before he could gather his bearings. "My name is Jedit. I've been waiting for Sakura to come here."

"For me?" Rei couldn't believe what he was hearing. But then again, who would? "Whatever for?"

It was then that Jedit began to tell his story. One that would change Rei's world and cause the wheels of fate to turn.

Soon, the young man would know of the truth involving him, and this so-called stranger that claimed to know him.

TBC…

A little rushed I know, but it's kind of late now so I need to get some rest. I promise to do better on the next chapter. Well, with that…


	3. Fragments of Sorrow

A tale of the past begins to unfold and changes the course of the present into the future. This one will be mostly in Jed's perspective before the story continues as normal.

Tears of White Night

Chapter 3: Fragments of Sorrow

_**Disclaimer**: I own some characters here, namely Rei, Jedit, Sirius, Byakuya, Bleu and Miyuko. Everyone else are just support characters that mostly belong to Neopets or were created to help with the story_.

Jedit was born on Mystery Island to a prince of the Lost Desert and a shaman living on the isle, both Kougras. They met on the sandy shores of the tropical land and married soon after. A year later Jedit was born as an orange Kougra, happy as can be. He loved to walk on the beaches of the island and explore the jungles with his father by his side. For reasons he did not understand, the family moved to the forest terrain of Meridell. They moved to the outskirts of a village near the woods where mysterious beings were said to exist in. Though they never seek to cause any trouble, the other villagers seemed a little skittish of them, and Jedit had to endure teasing from the village youth on a daily basis.

One day, everything changed when the young Kougra's petpet Anubis named Bleu (here Rei stared blankly at Jedit but nonetheless paid close attention) gave her life from a dastardly prank. The Kougra finally gave in to his anger and fought off the other boys who ran off in fear. But that small victory alone did little to pacify the pain in Jedit's heart as he wept for his only friend in that harsh world. The sky darkened suddenly and silent tears began to fall, as if the world was mourning with the Kougra. He sat there crying for Bleu when a cloak was hung over his shoulders and Jedit averted his tear-stained face to see someone that he would remember for the rest of his life.

Though it was raining very heavily, not a drop of water touched the young man that stood before the Kougra. Long, ebony hair descended down his head as pale crimson eyes peered at Jedit with a mixture of sympathy and compassion. The garments he wore were simple: a long sleeve white shirt and black pants. The stranger had no fur or feathers like other Neopians he knew at that time. Jedit thought that this being was a different type of Faerie, but he later learned that the kind person who appeared before him was a spirit that came from another realm.

The spirit child gently picked up the fallen form of Bleu and beckoned Jedit to follow him into the forest. They waited for what seemed to be hours until they reached a small clearing where a lone tree stood by itself with its branches void of blossoms. The young stranger carefully laid the petpet down next to the tree and turned to face Jedit. Holding the Kougra's paw as if it were a fragile thing, the entity slowly lead Jedit out of the clearing through the forest until they reached the house were the Kougra's parents were currently living in. Waving a silent goodbye, the spirit turned to leave when Jedit found the courage to speak.

"Wait," The Kougra called out as he stared after the benevolent one. "What's your name? I'm Jedit."

The raven-haired child blinked in surprise and smiled a little bit. "Sakura." He replied softly and walked away into the night. But Jedit somehow inwardly knew that they would meet again.

As time went by, the two began to grow closer as friends until they could almost be called brothers. Jedit became more cheerful and energetic while Sakura began to talk a little more than he used to say and even showed Jedit some bit of magic. The Kougra was summon a bit of fire when he concentrated hard enough but wasn't able to progress until he got older. The two did everything any good friends did in those days; take long walks, talk about everything and nothing, explore the world around them and most of all had fun. For three years Jedit and Sakura became inseparable, but that all changed when Jedit's mother Flora became pregnant with a child. The situation was very tense since the female Kougra had been ill for a short time. Her husband Terran was somewhat frantic, boiling water, getting clean sheets and mostly staying by his wife's side through her ordeal. Jedit and Sakura helped whenever they could, gathering herbs to ease the pain and relieve some of Flora's symptoms.

One day, when the spirit child was gathering some healing plants he felt an aura from his tree and discovered that the spot where the Anubis once laid was a small blue rose in full bloom. Sakura was overjoyed since it meant that Bleu would come back to Jedit and he took the flower along with the basket of herbs to where Jedit's house was located and went inside to deliver the news when he stopped abruptly: the aura of the interior feeling very tense than usual.

Though Flora was happily cradling her newborn daughter, both Terran and Jedit were staring at her with slightly tense expressions on their faces. Sakura was greeted somewhat politely but he felt unsure about the situation as Jedit quietly lead him outside so that they could talk in private. That was when Sakura learned that Flora had only a month to live due to her condition. Jedit then asked his friend if there was a way to save her, and it pained Sakura greatly to even think about it but he gently told the Kougra that there was nothing he could do.

The moment those words came into hearing, Jedit became livid. He verbally dumped all of his sorrow, pain and frustrations on Sakura and angrily added that their friendship was over at that moment. Even though his heart threatened to shatter into tiny pieces, the spirit quietly nodded his head and walked away, never to come back. Both were unaware of how much the other cried when they separated that day, and never knew of it for a long time to come.

After a month has passed, Flora was laid to rest behind the house in a private cemetery that Terran spent a good three days working on just for her. About three months later, he passed away from heartbreak. Jedit was left alone with his young sister named Bleu, and his heart hardened to never let anyone become close to him except for her. There were signs from time to time that Sakura did something to help him but they never met face to face during that time. Ten years had passed and Jedit became stronger and quieter than before while Bleu grew up to be much like her late mother and the villagers expressed their sympathies though the teenage Kougra mostly kept to himself. His sister knew about his pain and tried her best to cheer him up, and she succeeded to a certain degree.

Then one day something ominous happened as a strange being appeared in that village and attacked the residents living there. Only Jedit was able to fend off the monstrous fiend and became in charge of the village's safety due to his actions. He accepted the task without hesitation but a lingering thought hinted to someone living in the woods and so he set out one day to find the reason for the phenomenon. It took a great deal of effort and time at his expense to traverse the thick forest into the clearing he knew from his childhood. There he found his old friend watching over a young child around the same age as Bleu but of a different species he had never seen before.

The child was white, with halfway decent robes covering his frail figure as he smiled at Sakura and asked questions with an innocent demeanor on his face. Slightly large ears perked heavenwards on his head as a tail with a bushy tip flickered sideways as he and the spirit conversed like old friends.

Jedit expressed surprise at how much his friend changed in the ten years absence since they have last seen each other. Sakura's long hair had grown slightly and lost its once black sheen to a pale white shade. His eyes were the same color thought they seemed to carry a hint of sadness as he smiled at the Bori named Byakuya. Unconsciously the Kougra stepped forward and broke a twig, which alerted the two to his presence. Sakura expressed shock and mild joy while Byakuya glared angrily at Jedit. All The Kougra could remember after that was the Bori's hate towards him and Sakura's tears before his vision was blinded by white light, and he awoken to find himself alone in an unknown world before he managed to find the sakura tree and collapsed out of exhaustion. That was when he saw Sakura again with Sirius soon after. His tale complete, Jedit felt the tears coming again and tried to hide his sorrow but his pain ceased when Rei came over and gently embraced the Kougra, stilling the fragments of sorrow that fell from his eyes.

TBC…

That has got to be the longest and hardest chapter I have done in my life.

Sirius: I still can't see why you would want to put this story up Rei.

Jedit: (gasps) You have defied the master! Punishment! (Chases wolf with spatula)

Sirius: Knock it off you floozy!

Rei: ENOUGH!

Jed & Sei: (huddle together in fear)

Byakuya: (sigh) They'll never learn…


	4. In Another World

Though I don't have Internet access at home there's an alternative method I can use at the college I'm attending currently. Just a simple transfer and I'm all set. I still kinda miss using the 'net though…

**Tears of White Night**

**Chapter 4: In Another World**

_**Disclaimer**: While I own the original characters, everything else is copyright to Neopets. That's all I have to say._

Jedit found himself at a loss for words as he stared at the massive structure. While he did travel through parts of Neopia such as the spooky Haunted Woods (he never wanted to go there ever again), the heated sands of the Lost Desert (brought fragments of nostalgia), Roo Island (the games were quite fun to play) and the ever-bustling city of Neopia Central (the mere thought boggled his mind). Though he finally made it back to his second home, the Kougra had yet to see a building such as this. Even the castle of Meridell paled in comparison to size.

His friend's Rei's home stood tall and proud protected by stout walls of stone with the mountains that he himself traversed in order to find the cherry blossom tree he was searching for ever since his journey began. He, the Lupe called Sirius and Rei walked through the back entryway past the regal looking gardens into large hallways of marble and colors. Even though he stood taller than his companions the feline felt greatly out of place in such a majestic dwelling obviously hinting of wealth.

"Come on, we better find Bleu and Miyuko before the servants start looking for us," The pale haired young man reminded them with a smile and hurried past bright, stain-glassed windows down the hall. Sirius, the silver Lupe's violet eyes briefly glancing at him, dashed after Rei leaving Jedit to run in order to keep up. Soon, they found a large crowd of servants, guards and maids frantically chasing a chipper white Angelpuss who was chirping with glee at the thrill of the chase. Upon spotting the three males watching the spectacle, she mewed happily and changed course for Rei. At the very last second, the petpet abruptly flew towards Sirius and immediately proceeded to hug his face. While the angelic kitten purred and the lupine grumbled, a Faerie Anubis fluttered towards Rei and landed on his right shoulder with a heavy sigh.

"I'm so glad to see you back home," Bleu began shortly after catching her breath. "Even if this wasn't the first time this happened the fact remains that Miyuko becomes increasingly difficult every time this happens! There must be another way…" She trailed off suddenly upon sight of Jedit. "Oh! I'm sorry… Wait a moment, Jedit?"

"Bleu…"

As one would expect at this sort of situation, both Kougra and Anubis passionately 'lunged' for one another and proceeded to tearfully embrace in a drama of love, happiness and reunion. Though he was deeply moved by the scene, Rei quietly bid the all the workers back to their jobs and helped to pry off Mi-Chan off Sei's face by offering a piece of candy as a distraction. With the others lost in their own worlds, the two finally had a moment to converse among themselves.

"Rei, are you sure this won't make our lives complicated?" Sirius asked tiredly, having his air supply blocked and returned so suddenly. "What if HE comes back and starts to go crazy again? Remember he didn't take it so well when I came here to live with you?"

The newly discovered spiritual being sighed sympathetically at the memory of what transpired half a decade ago. Upon seeing the wryly Lupe in ragged clothing, Byakuya had mistaken him for a villain and begun to attack with a barrage of offensive spells which Sirius had barely dodged with minimal injury. The elderly Bori only relented when Rei lost his temper for the second time in his life and quickly apologized to the young men. After a discussion over some tea, the arch mage agreed to the Lupe's staying at the mansion under the condition that Sirius served as a bodyguard to Rei. Since then, life for Rei had become happier along with the addition of Miyuko and Bleu in the family. Though Jedit didn't seem evil the young man silently worried over what he had just learned.

"He might, but I want to talk to him about what Jedit told us and figure out if it's all true." Reiki Sakura said at last. "We'll work it out somehow, but I don't really believe that Baku is a bad soul. Even if he's rarely around he works hard for my happiness. The least I can do is do the same for him without causing any problems."

'Wishful thinking' was the first thing that popped into the Lupe's mind though he wisely chose not to say those words out loud even if they hold some truth to them. He would hardly admit it openly, but Sirius didn't mind Jedit's arrival as long as it didn't mean trouble for them all.

"Fine, but let's not do anything we'll regret later on." The silver Lupe pointed out sternly before walking away. "And we better get ready for dinner soon. I don't mind eating but all that rules and etiquette stuff is such a pain to do."

"Okay Sei," Rei replied with a roll of his eyes and his knowing smile while informing Jedit and the petpets on what they had to do. After watching them chase after Sirius towards the bath, he walked upstairs into his room to change into more formal clothes.

One thing he soon discovered upon living in such an estate is that there were times when he could not avoid eating in the dining hall with manners to keep in mind and all that information. It was understood, even tolerated to a certain degree but the young man would never get used to such expectations! Just thinking about it hurt his mind.

Selecting a long sleeved, white silk shirt with a light blue vest and navy blue pants, Rei was ready to go. There were more fancier choices but he preferred to keep it simple whenever possible. Also the orange colored sunglasses were worn only when he went out of the household. Adjusting the silver ankh around his neck, he walked out of the room and down the stairs where he met up with Sirius, Jedit, Bleu and Miyuko. The winged Anubis had a jeweled, golden collar won while the Angelpuss had a pink ribbon tied around her neck. Rei noticed with a raised eyebrow that the Lupe once again managed to get normal street clothes for the Shadow Kougra as well as himself. Sirius caught the look with a grin before he calmly escorted them towards the dining room where the kitchen staff and some other servants awaited around the long oaken table polished to a pleasant shimmer.

Escorted to opposite sides of the dinner table, Rei and the petpets on one side with Sirius and Jedit on the other, the meal soon began. After making certain that Bleu wasn't having trouble with Miyuko, the young man turned to the Kougra and Lupe. "Honestly Sei, first you tell me that we have to dress formally and only you two get to ignore that rule? Just how did you pull that off?"

"Simple really Master Rei," The Lupe replied with a grin once again after biting into some bread. "I just told them that if they were to bother our fine furred friend here in any way, you'll blow your top like you did with the Lord of the house. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I mildly implied it."

_I'll bet_, the neatly dressed adolescent thought while sipping at his tea. _Why am I_ not _surprised_? Then Rei gave his attention to Jedit. "So Jed, how are you feeling? I'm sorry if it's a bit sudden to deal with all these new things so quickly. Even I'm not completely used to it by now."

"Um, it's no big deal really." The Kougra replied while rapidly eating any dish that came his way without causing a ruckus of any sort miraculously. "But thank you a lot for the food, I haven't gotten the chance to eat that much before I came here."

Rei nodded in understanding. Before they came home he had given all the food in his bag to Jedit and the striped feline consumed them all, minus any packaging that happened to be protecting the consumables before their final departure. He had a feeling this would happen due to the curse Jedit was under so he thoughtfully gave the servants some warning before the meal began. In spite of how nervous he felt, Miyuko didn't create any major messes like before and no one even bothered to be suspicious of the newcomer. So far so good…

"Well it's good to see that you're doing alright." The young man said politely and paused to pass Miyuko a plate of fruit decorated in sugar threads just for her. "Baku's not here though, so we have to wait before I'm informed of his arrival. Until then, let's take it easy for now."

No one had any complaints with that and dinner resumed without anymore incident, not even when dessert came out. After preparing for bed the five camped out in Rei's room with the two petpets already in their pajamas and fast asleep. The boys in shirts and sweat pants stayed up talking and watching Rei use what were called Tarot cards to divine some part of their lives. Sirius was told that he had a challenge in the future and he should be cautious while Jedit was reminded of what he had been through and what he could do. For Rei…

"So for the past I got the Death card upright." He announced quietly. "There's truth to that, since I'm in another world loosely speaking and what I learned about in my past." Though he was thoughtful, the others seem to be scared for him. Fortunately this was in the past. "And for the present it's the Judgement, Jedit's story proves to be true again."

Drawing the card for the future was the upright Strength card, meaning that any problems faced can be solved only if Rei really wanted to, and he did. The card for advice was the World card in the upright position. He was informed that while being careful, his goal could possibly be within reach: so thinking positive and with temperance would be the right thing to do at that point.

"Okay, now's the time for us to get some sleep." The would-be fortuneteller told his audience seriously and went to put away his Tarot deck before putting the covers over him on the Zen Bed and turning off the lamp when Sirius and Jedit lied in their respective places on the couch and makeshift futon before falling asleep.

While the others slept, the Kougra lingered awake thinking how lucky he was to see his old friend again. He hoped that things would work out, not wanting to be alone again. _This time_, he thought quietly before closing his eyes. _I won't hurt him again. From now on I'm going to be honest with myself, I owe it to both of us._

Outside the window, a waxing moon shone brightly in the night sky. Only heaven knows at this point what lies in store for all of them.

**TBC…**

I happen to own a deck of Tarot cards so I was reading off some info that seemed appropriate to the story from the booklet. I apologize if some of the stuff I wrote isn't correct. Also I'm sorry for not updating in a long time since I had schoolwork to deal with and all that. But if I'm right, I should be updating a little more often now so please excuse my randomness if any comes up.


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